2024 STEM Education Grant Partners: 10 Nonprofits Supporting Women and Girls of Color
Women make up just 35% of STEM graduates from tertiary education worldwide and hold less than 25% of science, engineering and technology jobs, according to recent UNESCO data. A lack of opportunities, pathways, and role models has caused this gender imbalance.
It is more important than ever that women and girls from all backgrounds are given the opportunity to follow a STEM-based career. Increasing diversity in a predominantly white, male field will benefit society overall and create generational wealth.
At F5, we value our female team members’ contributions, and we are aware of the need to support the next generation—particularly women and girls of color. Many nonprofits across the world are doing just that and, as we celebrate National STEM Day in the United States, we are delighted to support these efforts as we announce our 2024 STEM Education Grant Partners.
Supporting vital work in communities across the globe
Selected from almost 900 submissions, this year’s 10 grant partners come from seven different countries and span a wide range of initiatives—from revolutionizing STEM education in Kenya and Ghana to expanding technology opportunities for girls in Nepal to bridging access to opportunities in Uganda, Colombia, Guatemala, and the United States.
F5’s 2024 STEM Education Grant Partners respond to the good news that they received a $50,000 grant to support their STEM missions.
An employee-led selection process
The process to select this year’s nonprofits was led by 35 F5 employees across 10 countries and five departments, all of whom share a passion for promoting equality in STEM.
Shannon Evans, an engineer at F5 in the United States, says she participated on the grant committee because of her passion for extending STEM careers to more women and girls. “When I was a kid, there was a time when girls no longer wanted to be in the upper-level math and sciences because it wasn't cool,” she says. “We were in a relatively poor school district area, so there weren't a lot of opportunities to interact with STEM subjects outside of the classroom. I want to make sure that other little girls don't give up on STEM just because of the opinions of their peers.”
Maroua Temani, an F5 solutions engineer in France, says she too wants to open up more opportunities for girls and women. “I consider myself lucky that I had people—including my parents and family—that encouraged me to follow my path in math and science,” she says. “I want to help other women and girls to reach the best opportunities that they can achieve.”
Evans and Temani were among the 35 employees who read through and discussed the grant applications, ultimately selecting the final 10 grant partners. The process ended with calls to each of these nonprofits to share the exciting news.
Congratulations to our 2024 STEM Education Grant partners. We’re inspired by the important work you’re doing to raise up women and girls of color.
F5 2024 STEM Education Grant Partners
Ghana
Mission: Solving the problem of under-representation of African women in the tech industry through training, mentorship and job placement/business incubation.
What the grant will fund: Outreach activities to high schools to introduce 300 girls to career opportunities in technology, career readiness, and job preparation sessions on five university campuses, software engineering workshops on Web 3, Data Analytics, and a one-year flagship program called "The Tech Accelerator Program.”
Colombia
Mission: Unlocking the potential of every young individual and promoting a more equitable and promising future for all by fostering development through the core principles of equity, skill enhancement, creativity, social commitment, community benefit, and strategic partnerships.
What the grant will fund: The expansion and sustainability of the Girl Powered program in the Department of Chocó to provide high-quality STEM education to every girl in Chocó who wants to participate. The grant will empower these young women, giving them the tools they need to break the cycle of poverty.
Uganda
Mission: Bridging the skills gap between sought-after labor and youth full of potential. Groundbreaker's residential programs rapidly train young women in key fields, creating economic agency and fostering greater diversity in the tech sector.
What the grant will fund: Supporting eight talented young women from financially constrained communities for the January 2025 cohort. This scholarship offers hands-on software engineering training on campus, enabling the scholars to focus fully on their studies and kick-start their careers in tech.
Guatemala |
Mission: Mobilizing people to actively participate in democracy and create innovative pathways to economic and environmental justice, through green building, employment, and education.
What the grant will fund: The expansion of the Hero School innovative educational model, further integrating STEM principles into the curriculum, and enhancing capacity to address pressing environmental and social challenges.
Guatemala
Mission: Maximize and amplify the transformative power of women to create a society with equity and opportunity. MAIA is working to break cycles of poverty, discrimination, and injustice through the education and empowerment of Indigenous girls in Guatemala.
What the grant will fund: The innovative redesign of the program’s five-year science curriculum. In Guatemala’s traditionally theory-heavy and rote-based education system, science rarely connects to practical applications or diverse perspectives. This redesign will contextualize the curriculum for the modern student, emphasizing Indigenous female experiences to inspire and engage MAIA students.
Kenya
Mission: Enabling underserved children and youth to become self-reliant and empowered to shape their communities through education, upskilling and employment opportunities.
What the grant will fund: Support 250 vulnerable girls in underserved communities in Nairobi by integrating Phoenix Space's STEM Spark course into Sunflower’s existing programs. This opportunity will provide students with a comprehensive STEM learning experience and enhance capacity building within both organizations.
Kenya and United States
Mission: To open doors to a brighter future for underrepresented students in Taita-Taveta, Kenya, by providing high-quality STEM education and technology, empowering students to lead, innovate, and drive sustainable change in their communities and beyond.
What the grant will fund: Enhancing teacher preparedness and fostering a STEM-ready generation through teacher training, providing essential technology tools, and broadening students’ exposure to STEM careers.
Nepal
Mission: Balancing the gender gap in the STEM field and prepare girls aged 10-18 in Nepal for a future where they will be at the forefront of technological advancements.
What the grant will fund: Expansion of the nonprofit’s STEM education programs, infrastructure, and resources that it provides for girls. In 2025, the aim is to reach 2,000 young girls in the Kathmandu and Lalitpur districts with a six-month coding and electronics program.
Nepal
Mission: Strengthening opportunities for women and girls, Nepal’s most disadvantaged and underserviced population, through powerful programming that brings culture and innovation together to enrich learning opportunities, creating a brighter tomorrow.
What the grant will fund: Expansion of the program, including introducing STEM programs to an additional five schools, advanced training for 80 STEM teachers, and investment in advanced educational resources such as math labs, technology tools, and interactive learning materials.
United States
Mission: Building and influencing a connected community to encourage, retain, and elevate women and girls in technology from the classroom to the boardroom.
What the grant will fund: Supports the creation of an alumni program, including advanced professional readiness workshops, mentorship, and job placement tools for the 130+ graduates of the WIT Single Mothers Program as they transition to the technology workforce.